Love at the first sight - Cruising for adults ("stolen") - Finally you get the goody normally only kids get somewhere - That is all I love Holland America Line for. And it might sound stupid: You can experience a wonderful cruise on a small ship like RYNDAM too.

I did not feel well. After six consecutive calls of port I need another day to rest. The next would be a day of sea. But it came too late. I am not anymore in an age to party all time. On the 7th day you should rest. Even in the company I work only five days a week. So nice as each of the ports was before. Less is sometimes more. I became familiar with a chamomile tea.

John Larry got me a chicken soup. He walked an extra mile for me because that was no standard offer but only available from the cabin service galley. Thereafter I felt much more better.

They headed on to Roman Theater. Everything reminded to Catargue (near Tunis, Tunisia) and that was before Cartago Nova. No wonder that this city is called Cartagena.

They walked a little more through the city center. I would not be averse to repeat this cruise 2018 again. Portland will be replaced by Southampton. But from Northern Spain there would be again the same seven ports. I would not like to miss anyone but Gibraltar. But I do not like to do such power-tours again.

I was feeling well again so I wanted to move somehow. The open decks were closed. One door without sign I used as occasion to exit and started to walk.

There are two companies which were remarkable due to their cordiality of the crew (99.9 % - there were also companies with the value down to 66.7 %...) and one of the two is Holland America. Our cabin steards Wayan, Aji with their collegue Nurdin. Everywhere you were greeted friendly. You did not have too many chances to be the first to greet.

On board we had a Culinary Council and we had a personal Culinary Counselor who took care of us: Lilis. She was our waitress in the Pinnacle Grill on our RYNDAM-voyage 2013. Since then we have been friends on Facebook. I always check her pictures of the ports and from the ships and I plan for myself what I wanted to do. She is the perfect ambassador of Holland America. So we aked her before what we should test. She told uns that we should try Culinary Art Centr. We should say hello to Tika and Nanik and we could be sure that the get the very best service onboard. Unfortunately she forgot to say hello to her former boss Glenn... Tika "invited us every day" to join the Culinary Air Center. She was part of the trailer you could see in the Board-TV. It was something new: cooking demonstration to cook later yourself at home and a therapy of experiences in every kind. You should not just sit there and let them serve you all the time there passively. They had two different alterantive menu cards which was alternating every day. One menu had all my favorite ingredients and the other did not. And I had unluck: that night was the alternative offer. So I was a little bit disappointed although a great culinary experience thanks to the cooking team Thomas, Richard, Jonnel and Joye and we had a great service by Nanik, Tika, Ary, Alih, Hadi, Ramsdent and Lex. I would try it again subject I would be sure that I would get the other menu.

Finally we had a nice time voyage through the billboards of the last 60 years: "On The Charts". I liked it. We had some discussion with the songs of "Chicago" because the ship's singer did not hit the notes as well as a Peter Cetera when singing "Glory of Love". I did not like that "Downtown Train" was counted as commercial success for Rod Stewart as I love very much the original of Tom Waits. As a big fan of "How I met your Mother" I certainly like the version of Everything but the Girl. With "I have nothing" Whitney Houston was honored. With ."Story of my Life" of One Direction many artists were remembered who already passed away. With "Twist and Shout" of The Beatles you got the very last and most tired cruiser off his seat. The songs worked as well as an energy drink. A great show came to the end.

Über mich / About me

lebt in einer glücklichen Partnerschaft... pendelt zuviel... einerseits zwischen seinem Arbeits- und Wohnort. Ansonsten auch mittlerweile zuviel in der Weltgeschichte.
lives in a happy partnership... commutes too much... between his home and his work... but also around the world.